Symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder

If you have social anxiety disorder, you may have the following symptoms during social interactions:

Blushing

Excessive sweating

Trembling

Dry throat and mouth

Muscle twitches

Intense anxiety

Dizziness

Rapid heart beat

These visible symptoms can heighten the fear of disapproval and the symptoms themselves can become an additional focus of fear. Fear of symptoms can create a vicious cycle: you may worry about having these symptoms, which makes you more likely to actually experience them.

Any public situation, familiar or unfamiliar, formal or informal, can lead to symptoms of social anxiety disorder. Common examples include:

Being teased or criticized

Being the center of attention

Meeting new people

Interacting with authority figures

Interacting with members of the opposite sex

Eating, writing, or speaking in public

Using public toilets

Social anxiety disorder can be broken into two categories.

The specific or performance type—limited to only one type of situation, such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations, or eating or drinking in front of others.

The most severe form (the generalized type of social anxiety disorder)—you may experience symptoms almost anytime you are around other people.

Revision Information

This content is reviewed regularly and is updated when new and relevant evidence is made available. This information is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with questions regarding a medical condition.